If
you have ever driven through the center of Florida, you’ve
probably seen cows grazing or resting under shade trees. These
cows were almost certainly being raised for beef. Although the
horrible final destination for dairy cows is the same as with
beef cattle—the slaughterhouse—dairy cows in Florida
spend much of their lives on concrete, confined in overcrowded
and disease-ridden farms.

Dairy
Production in FloridaDairy
farming is one of Florida’s biggest animal industries, second
only to the beef cattle industry in dollar value. For decades,
the number of dairy farms in Florida has been in decline, while
the size of herds on individual farms has increased dramatically.
Today, most dairy farms in Florida have between 500 and 1000 cows,
and several huge mega-dairies have over 3000 cows!

The
lives of dairy cows are a bleak cycle of pregnancy, birth and
milking to provide one thing—milk for human consumption.

The
heat and humidity of Florida’s climate makes life difficult
for dairy cows. Florida’s hot and wet conditions also increase
health problems such as mastitis, a common but serious bacterial
infection of the mammary gland.

In
an attempt to fight the heat, and to better control waste, farms
confine cows in warehouse-sized buildings that have giant fans
running 24 hours a day. But confining cows creates other problems.
As a result of standing on concrete, and from lack of exercise,
dairy cows commonly suffer from painful feet or leg injuries.
Lameness is one of the most frequent reasons that dairy farmers
kill cows.

The
Short, Sad Life of a Dairy Cow
Like other mammals, cows have to give birth in order to produce
milk. Immediately after giving birth, the dairy cow’s calf
is forcibly taken from her and fed artificially.

Male
calves are of little value to the dairy industry, so dairy farmers
sell them to the notoriously cruel veal industry (there would
be no veal without the dairy industry!), or just abandon them
at the farm. In 2000, workers at a dairy farm in Okeechobee were
caught on film dumping day-old calves in a pit, and shooting them
with a pistol.

Young
female calves are moved into tiny, individual pens where they
spend the first weeks of their lives, cut off almost completely
from contact with other cows. A strip of fabric serves as shade.
Farmers claim that they must isolate calves to protect them from
infectious disease, noxious ammonia and other threats to young
animals that are common in modern dairy farms.

Before
a calf leaves the pen, she will be dehorned, a painful and stressful
mutilation, usually conducted without anesthesia (farmers explain
that dehorning reduces injuries in the crowded dairy). Before
the calf turns two, she will be artificially inseminated and begin
her “productive life.” Cows are milked twice, even
three times per day, and are pushed to produce as much as 20,000
lbs of milk per year!

After
a few short years, a cow’s milk production declines and
she is sold for slaughter. Cows are also killed if they have difficulty
getting pregnant, or due to chronic mastitis or lameness, anything
that makes her no longer profitable. A cow’s natural lifespan
is 25 years or more.

The
Environment
The amount of wastewater and manure produced on dairy farms is
astounding, and inevitably pollutes rivers, lakes and groundwater.

On
dairy farms, enormous quantities of water are used to clean the
animals and milking equipment, in operating sprinklers to cool
animals, and in flushing manure out of barns—in addition
to the water cow’s drink. A study by the University of Florida
estimated that 100 cows can produce over 100,000 gallons of wastewater
each week!
(photo: at a farm visited by ARFF, wastewater is pumped into a
huge lagoon.)

It
is not surprising that dairies are one of Florida’s most
significant sources of water pollution. (The ammonia and other
gases from manure can also contribute to air pollution.)

Strong
Bones?
Our bodies need the mineral calcium to build and maintain bones
and teeth. But cow's milk is not the best or a necessary source.
Plant foods can provide all the calcium and other nutrients we
need. The most healthful calcium sources are fortified orange
juice or non-dairy milks, beans, instant oatmeal, broccoli, and
green leafy vegetables such as collards or kale.

Cow's
milk is high in calories, fat and cholesterol, and frequently
contains antibiotics, hormones and other drug residues. Millions
of Americans are dairy (lactose) intolerant.

Beyond
Dairy.
The only beings suited to consume cow’s milk are infant
cows.

ARFF
recommends that people wishing to reduce animal suffering minimize
or, better yet, eliminate animal products from their diet. Contact
ARFF for ideas on how to make the change to a healthier, animal-free
lifestyle.

In
November 2006, ARFF was contacted by a former employee of the
University of Florida’s Dairy Research Unit near Gainesville
who reported serious problems at the facility. An ARFF volunteer
visited the facility to investigate and confirmed several of the
allegations of mismanagement and neglect.

The
allegations included: (1) cows becoming sick after eating screws
and wire left behind by maintenance crews, plastic gloves used
in breeding and other improperly disposed garbage; (2) cows suffering
broken bones or other life-ending injuries after slipping on poorly
maintained surfaces; (3) an injured or sick cow improperly euthanized
by several gunshots to the head; (4) cows not treated at first
sign of illness or injury, especially when the illness did not
immediately affect milk production; (5) animal cruelty. ARFF learned
of an incident in which an employee at the facility whipped an
uncooperative cow with his belt.

ARFF
filed a complaint with the University of Florida urging them to
investigate. The university responded and admitted that problems
do exist. Hopefully, ARFF’s complaint and an article that
followed in a local newspaper will lead to improvements at the
dairy farm.

Although
the allegations and the conditions ARFF documented at the farm
were shocking, they are not uncommon in Florida dairy farms. Even
the best dairy farm can’t avoid abuses that are inherent
to the industry, such as female calves forcibly taken from their
mothers shortly after birth, and males calves cruelly disposed
of. After a few short years, when a cow’s milk production
declines, all dairy cows are sold for slaughter.

The
best way to help end the suffering of cows in the dairy industry
is to eliminate dairy and all animal products from your diet.

The
former university employee told ARFF that she had worked at the
facility for two years, and in that time she watched cows that
she had fallen in love with deteriorate before her eyes. Because
of her experience, she has stopped drinking millk.